I really enjoy one aspect of “Mischief Night,” and it’s the two scene walk on role by Malcolm McDowell. I mean seriously, who walks around various neighborhoods to quiz people about Halloween and warn them about not opening their doors? Who in the world has that much time? For all intents and purposes, director Travis Baker makes damn good use of the extra money he spent on McDowell’s appearance. Sure the man has nothing to do in the movie, but he’s in there, come hell or high water.
I think if it weren’t so obsessed with its own self-indulgent pseudo-spiritualism and didn’t stop to tell four different stories simultaneously, “Martyrs” may have been a decent film. It begins as a solid revenge picture, but then devolves in to an absurd campaign in torture and pain. It’s a grueling sadistically boring horror drama with a narrative so convoluted I stopped caring about what was unfolding after the first half hour. “Martyrs” loves to pretend it’s this transcendent statement about our questioning of the afterlife, but in reality it’s just misogynist torture porn painted as art house dribble that will make you feel dirty.
The first time I ever watched “Mosquito” was on late night cable on the USA Network when cable channels were fun. Right around the nineties when horror was kind of a killjoy with overly serious horror movies, “Mosquito” is that hard shot that really goes down well. It has gratuitous nudity, giant monsters, stop motion, and even Gunnar Hansen brandishing a chainsaw a few times. How can you bash something that genuinely tries to make the most out of very little? Director Gary Jones comprises a fun little science fiction horror fest in where an alien crash landing turns the local mosquito population in to truck sized predators that get off on feeding on people in the worst ways. Apparently mosquitoes just aren’t biased when it comes to feeding off of living things, so when the ship crash lands, the mosquitoes begin feeding on the blood of its dead alien pilot.
Like most people, I was introduced to “Manos” through the spectators of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” in what is perhaps their funniest episode. Sadly, while the episode itself is a riot, “Manos” doesn’t hold up well to watching for the pure fun of it. That’s because “Manos” is primarily a really awful movie with nothing worth salvaging. There are absolutely no pros that can be taken from watching “Manos,” and it’s mainly appreciated for being so awful and nothing more. It’s shocking how a film that’s barely seventy minutes feels like an utter eternity to sit through. Many films are given “Worst” tags by everyone, but “Manos” genuinely deserves its label as one of the worst movies ever made.
After the pop culture explosion that Steven Soderbergh brought to screens with 2012’s “Magic Mike,” director Gregory Jacobs does a bang up job of carrying the torch. “Magic Mike XXL” is a mixed bag that sags in the middle but is overall a very entertaining road film. After three years retired from the erotic dance business, Mike receives word that former boss “Dallas” is dead. Shocked to learn that he is very alive and abandoned his former group of dancers, Mike is inspired to rejoin his old team after a serendipitous airing of the song “Pony” reminds him of his old days.
With Pixar’s “Monsters University,” the company has its heart in the right place once again, except it’s in a different spot this time around. With their prequel, Pixar creates a respectable and fun companion piece to “Monsters, Inc.” Pixar’s dabbling in to the ever heinous prequel works as a part of the mythology of Sullie and Mike Wazowksi and how they became companions. If Mike isn’t a scarer why does he work at Monsters, Inc? And how did Sullivan become such a great scarer? It’s because of the bond that the pair share; and the prequel gives us a wider back story on the core characters of the monsters series.
[Horrible Imaginings Film Festival San Diego 2015]
Mexico Barbaro is an anthology film containing 8 short films by Mexican filmmakers all based on traditions and legends. It is however more like a collection of shorts as the movies are not interwoven and there is no wrap around story. Each of the shorts here can stand on their own and the only thread connecting them is the theme. As with any anthology, some of the shorts are much stronger than the others. Here the best three are the opener Tzompantli, the second one Jaral de Berrios, and the closing short Dia de los Muertos.